The youngest
by B. and the Jetts
Summary: Damian was one year old, Bruce was jealous and Dick fell in love (and Jason nearly gagged).
1. the arrival

Damian wasn't much older than one when he arrived at the Wayne Manor.

Talia had forgotten to mention his birthday when she parted with cryptic words about a gift in her last meeting with Bruce, "Don't let him cramp your style." she had said with a wistful smile before jumping into a helicopter and disappearing from view in a matter of seconds.

Bruce had expected trouble – the deadly kind – he had no idea what to think of this.

Alfred instantly ordered Bruce to suck it up and get his shit together, for fuck sake. Those precise words never came out of the butler's mouth, of course, but that would be how Jason told Dick it happened, much to Bruce's dismay.

But Bruce did try to "suck it up", even well aware of how horrible he was with children.

With Dick it had been easy because Dick was an easy child to deal with, he laughed, talked about everything that bothered him, and yet Bruce had driven him away. Now he wouldn't go a full day without arguing with Jason, how was he supposed to raise Damian? Still he tried taking the boy to his office and sitting him atop of his desk and giving him paper and crayons.

At first, he'd just watch Damian, waiting to see what his son would draw, but Damian stared right back at him with his mother's eyes, because they were Talia's even if they were blue.

Bruce had never thought a one year old could look that judgmental.

Trying to hold the boy turned out to be even worse, the baby would scowl and fight his way out of his dad's arms every time Bruce tried to pick him up. He never cried, though.

Alfred would sigh, grumbling about contraception methods and parenting books as he took the squirming boy out of Bruce's arms.

Whenever the butler would speak, Damian would stop and listen, it was a pretty unbelievable sight how the boy would pay so much attention, it made Bruce feel wildly jealous.

Jason nearly lost it at the news of a younger brother and kept away from Damian from the moment the kid came in through the door, Bruce got the silent treatment at all times outside of patrol.

And then there was Dick. He'd been ignoring Bruce completely since their last argument, but would still take Alfred's calls. Jason swore up and down that at the same second Alfred said the words "new brother", Dick barged in through the door receiver still in hand, cord dragging behind him.

Alfred would never admit it, but he got misty-eyed at the sight of Dick kneeling in front of Damian and extending a hand "Hello, I'm Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick. And you are?"

Damian stared at Dick's hand for a long moment, then grabbed his forefinger and glanced up at his big brother's face. Dick smiled and for the first time, Damian smiled right back.

It would've been a perfect sight if Jason hadn't been making gaging noises in the corner.

* * *

**A/N.:** I actually managed to write a drabble! (511 words are still a drabble, right? RIGHT?), but of course, now I can't stop thinking about the plot so there'll probably be other drabbles.

Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do

I am in love with this baby... He's such a little shit, you don't even know


	2. the basketball diaries

Jason watched in mild disgust as Dick would sneak around just to see the little brat. It was pretty pathetic how Dickface thought he was being completely stealthy and unpredictable, but the douchebag came by once a week, like clockwork.

Bruce could've been blind and deaf and he'd still know 'bout Dick prancing around with the kid, but the old man never said a thing about it, even when Damian came back all covered in mud and with cheeks sticky with candy. They had no idea what the hell Dick did in his one on one time with the boy, they only knew Damian was always exhausted afterwards and Dick would not stop smiling.

It wrecked Jason's nerves.

"Wanna come with, Little Wing?" Dick would ask every time, it didn't matter that Jason was always out of sight, watching.

And no. Jason _really_ didn't wanna go and it's not because he's jealous as he had heard Alfred telling Dick, it's because of the kid specifically.

Damian would follow Jason _everywhere_. The kid could walk pretty fast for someone still kinda learning and it didn't matter that Jason did absolutely nothing to be nice – barely even _looked_ at the little monster – whenever he turned, there was Damian. Little creep.

Jason couldn't understand how Bruce could just… accept that little weirdo. Sure, it's his kid – they had the blood test results before the kid even had the time to whine about the needle prick in his arm – but it's Talia's too. _Talia_. As in heiress of the League of Assassins.

How could Bruce not know she's dangerous? How could Bruce not know she would do something like this? How could Bruce have had _sex_ with her? It's like _come on_, don't you get enough as a fucking billionaire playboy? Did you really have to get your groove on with a villain? Then why not Catwoman? She's nice. You know, for a burglar and shit. At least she's local – and kinda likes them – It's not like she has a freaking _international crime organization_ under her command.

Seriously, even if Talia hadn't drop the little bundle of terror on them, there was no way it would've worked between her and Bruce, and Jason shuddered imagining how swell that break up would go.

Jason sighed and let his head lean back on his headboard. It didn't matter he made sense, no one ever listened to him.

Except for the "Little shit!" he glowered at Damian's tiny form by his door. He had no clue whatsoever as to why the kid was always following him, Jason only knew he wanted one thing and one thing only and it was for "DICK!" to "Get the freaking kid away from me!"

He hears Dick jogging up the stairs and cooing "There you are…" Damian stops staring at Jason and his whole face lights up as Dick picks him up "How did you know I was here?" Jason knows the question is directed at him even if Dick is still making faces at the kid.

"You're _always_ here" Jason says flatly and pulls a magazine from his nightstand just to have somewhere else to look at.

"Yeah, well… Don't you wanna come with us?"

"No."

"Oh, I know." Jason can _hear_ the grin in Dick's voice and instantly goes:

"No."

"Hey, Dames, what do you say about staying in with Jason today instead of going out?"

"_No._"

"You see, baby D," Dick said as he took slow steps towards the bed "Jason wants to seem really tough and mean, but on the inside? He's all gooey and snugly."

"What?! _No!_"

"And what do we do with mean kids, Dames?" Dick asked, leaning Damian forward until he hovered over Jason.

Both younger boys stared at each other for a moment and then Damian stretched his hand and grabbed Jason's nose.

"Yeah!" Dick cheered "That's it, we steal they noses. Bye Jason."

And they were gone.

Jason wanted to scream into a pillow, but he wouldn't give Dick the satisfaction.

* * *

**A/N.:** I don't post this quick. Ever. But I had this and thought "oh, what the hell..." so there you go!

I don't think I can drabble anymore, I suck at drabble, so this might turn into a real story? I don't know... but I do have ideas for what happens as Damian grows up, I have stuff 'till he's 10 again, because obviously I don't sleep, I just spent nights lying in bed coming up with fanfiction plots.

A **Guest** reviewed asking for the first time Damian cried, that will come up soon, if you have any other stuff you'd like to see, tell me and I'll try to incorporate it, 'kay? Oh and Guest if you're reading this, the sentence you quoted was my absolute favorite.

Hope you guys enjoy this! Thanks for the favs and lovely reviews!

(keep 'em coming, they're my fuel)


	3. big fish

Wherever Alfred was going, it was a sure thing that Damian wouldn't be that far behind. If Dick wasn't around, there was nothing Damian enjoyed more than to watch whatever task Alfred was performing; the boy only took breaks to check in on Jason and be immediately kicked out.

He never came to Bruce. Who was his _father_, who began to keep toys in his home office – and ended up having a very embarrassing moment at a board meeting involving his briefcase and a rubber duck –, who was _completely_ clueless as to what to do to get the boy to warm up to him.

Their one on one time was still pretty pathetic with Damian twirling a blue crayon – _always_ a blue crayon – staring up at Bruce very, _very_ seriously, even when Bruce waved colorful plush toys in what he believed was a playful manner. Damian seemed to particularly hate the clown, which Bruce secretly found hilarious.

But as soon as Alfred's voice filtered through the closed doors, Damian would slip away to follow the butler.

It was only years of training and self-restraint that kept Bruce from clawing his eyes out.

He wouldn't let himself be discouraged, though, and if he couldn't carry his son without the boy flailing around, Bruce would try other kinds of contact, mostly running his fingers through the boy's hair as he passed him by.

The first time Bruce brushed a hand over Damian's head, the child came to a startled stop and glanced up at his father's face before realizing that Alfred had already left and sprinted after the butler.

Damian didn't seem as surprised as Bruce kept doing that, but would always peer up and Bruce would shoot him back a smile.

The look in Jason's face at the sight of Bruce's smiles would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Bruce wanted Jason to warm up to Damian – just as much as he wanted his youngest to choose him, _the dad_, for once – but to bring that topic up during patrol, the only time Jason would actually listen, was to ask for a fight and Bruce simply didn't have the strength to argue these days.

Then, on one afternoon, Alfred had to go out.

"Master Jason is locked away in his bedroom as usual and I've managed to get the young master to take an afternoon nap." Alfred told him and Bruce felt like crap for having someone tell him he wouldn't have to deal with his kids like that was a good thing "I will be back shortly."

Bruce nodded and leaned back on his chair, closing his eyes tiredly for a moment, when he reopened them, Damian was watching him by the door.

He put on a smile and hoped for the best "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked lightly and Damian shook his head.

Damian did that sometimes, shaking his head or nodding, but it was the first time he ever answered Bruce; he had no idea how much the boy actually understood.

"Aren't you tired?"

Again another denial. Bruce's smile felt more real.

"Come here." he beckoned and Damian padded across the carpet with his hands intertwined on his back.

The boy stops by Bruce's chair and looks him over almost suspiciously.

Bruce has some theories as to why Damian is so quiet and skittish, but he rather not think about them. Ra's and the League shouldn't be on his mind when he's with his son.

If Bruce was honest, he'd rather not think about Talia either, but that was impossible given that her eyes were staring at him right that second.

Damian took him out of his musings when he pulled his father's big hand into his tiny ones and examined it with a minute frown before placing it on top of his head. Bruce caressed the fine hair, letting his hand drop afterwards.

Damian huffed and pulled the hand back and held it there, when Bruce began stroking the boy's hair, Damian eyelids dropped as he sighed happily before breaking into this cute little grin and blinking his eyes back open to look at his dad.

With one arm, Bruce gathered his boy up and headed for the living room where he got settled on his favorite armchair and nestled Damian on his chest, twirling his fingers in his son's dark locks.

"You're getting a little shaggy there, Damian" Bruce said softly to which Damian shook his head "Oh, you're not? You don't want to cut your hair?" apparently, Damian did not, seeming way more interested in playing with the buttons of Bruce's shirt "Well, I guess I'll have to get used to this."

He pushed the hair away from Damian's eyes and got a toothy smile in return.

He could definitely get used to this.

* * *

**A/N.:** Can I get an "Awww"?

It's so fun to think of cute Damian related things! I have plans to make this into a real story, but with a different name and all, 'cause this should remain just cutesy drabbles. The plans I have for a story will be too much drama, not enough cute. But it will be awesome. If you guys want to see what this would be like as a real story, tell me so in the reviews so I can really start planning it!

For the lovely Guest who asked for the first time Damian cries, I swear it's coming, this one had to go in first because of reasons (you'll see why...) and there is a plan for Jay time bonding and will be very, very weird. 'Cause Jay is no ordinary boy.

Thank you to everyone who reviews, I said this in my other fics, and it's true here too: you guys are the sole reason I update anything, so yeah... reviews literally means new chapters.

I'm gonna go 'cause the note is getting longer than the chapter.


	4. cry baby

Bruce could feel Damian's eyes on him as he ran around the bedroom trying to get ready for the gala.

He was so incredibly late it wasn't even funny anymore. Bruce was supposed to take a half hour nap, but Alfred decided he needed _more_ sleep and didn't wake him up; in fact he only managed to open his eyes because Damian climbed onto his bed.

Bruce had been a second away from flinging the kid away before he realized who it was.

Damian sat back on his haunches and Bruce could swear the boy looked thoroughly unimpressed by his dad's startled reaction. Or perhaps it was just Bruce's lack of parenting skills making him see things.

"Are you okay?" he asked, trying to rub sleep from his eyes, but Damian didn't answer, choosing to crawl closer and lye his head on Bruce's chest "Oh, so you're sleepy, then?" Damian nodded curtly and settled closer.

Bruce smiled to himself and glanced at the clock on his bedside table.

He sprung up and out of bed leaving Damian to fall back on the pillows with an annoyed huff.

They were closer now, and even though Damian couldn't talk yet, it wasn't hard to understand his side of the conversation. Unfortunately for Bruce, most of the time Damian would only show how displeased he was with Bruce's behavior.

The first time Damian acted on his disapproval with a loud "Tt." Alfred smirked. The old geezer didn't think Bruce saw that, but of course he did. Bruce was well aware of how his son and his butler were ganging up on him.

He finished adjusting his tie and walked out of the bedroom, Damian's "Tt." – such a weird little quirk that no one seemed to know where Damian got it from – was loud enough to make Bruce turn on his heel and pick the boy up.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" he mumbled into the boy's hair "Alfred, do you mind taking Damian?" he called out loud "Somehow, I'm awfully late."

"That is very odd indeed." Alfred replied appearing by the bottom of the stairs "You must've overslept, which usually doesn't happen if you are getting decent hours at night."

Bruce always lost at the passive-aggressive game with Alfred.

"Where's Jason?"

"Patrolling with Master Richard. He's still avoiding any kind of contact with our youngest resident."

Apparently having noticed he was being mentioned, yet still nuzzled on his father's shoulder, Damian sent Alfred a short wave.

"The young master seems to have inherited your horrible sleeping habits."

"What do you mean? Look at him, he's seems exhausted."

"Well, yes." Alfred says patiently, taking Damian into his arms "He's only tired now because he keeps wondering through the hallways at night."

Bruce balks at that "Why?"

"I have no idea. You should ask him."

Bruce only humors the idea, because Damian's eyes are _still_ following him "Are you sleeping at night, Damian?"

Damian nods solemnly.

"He also inherited your horrendous habit of trying to lie to me, Master Bruce."

"I'll try to see to it that he stays in bed tonight when I get back."

"Of course."

Bruce's hand was a second away from touching the doorknob when he heard the angry shriek that had him turning around instantly "What is it, Alfred? Is Damian hurt?"

"I believe he's just irritated, kids sometimes get like that when drowsy."

But Damian looks _pained_, little face all scrunched up and definitely angry.

"I should get going…" Bruce says doubtfully and begins to walk away once more, but Damian's hurt filled whine pulls him to an instant halt "What is it?" he turns to find his boy reaching towards him, tiny arms so stretched he looked close to falling out of Alfred's hold.

"He…" Alfred pauses, seemingly surprised "doesn't want you to leave."

Bruce refrains from rolling his eyes "That can't be it, if you think he's okay-"

"He _is_ fine_._"

"Then I really have to get going."

Damian sniffs loudly and even though Bruce tries his best to ignore it, he ends up catching a glimpse of his son's face and of the fat tear rolling down his cheek.

He's by his his side instantly.

"No, no, no, don't cry…" Bruce lifted his eyes desperately to Alfred "What do I do?"

Alfred hands over the squirming boy, who doesn't quite stop crying despite having buried his head on the curve of his father's shoulder. "Well… You _do_ have an important event, don't you?"

"But…" Bruce feels the tears against his neck, but it is the little muffled broken noises coming from the kid that really break his heart "Damian doesn't want me to go" Damian shakes his head vigorously at that "He wants me to stay." now Damian is nodding and nuzzling closer, wrapping his arms tighter around Bruce.

Alfred just keeps staring with arched eyebrows.

"I should…" Bruce waited for any direction from the butler and got only a hand gesture telling him to keep talking "stay?"

"Very wise choice, if I may say so, sir. I shall call the organization of the event to warn them of your absence."

Alfred was already gone before Bruce could react properly, so he downcast his eyes at Damian "I'll have to leave the house at some point." Damian glanced up, but kept himself busy by fumbling with the knot of Bruce's tie "You know that, right?" Damian frowned and shook his head "You want me to stay here forever?" Damian nodded once, so sure of himself "You are a bossy one."

Damian yawned and rubbed his eye with the back of his tiny hand.

"Alfred, we're going to bed now!" Bruce called already climbing the stairs.

He heard the "Tt." coming from Damian and smiled.

"You have to sleep." Damian whined grumpily and shook his head.

He was out like a light before Bruce had even reached the bedroom door.

* * *

**A/N.:** Ok, I think I made up my mind, what do you guys think:

I'm gonna keep the drabbles up, it's what brought you here after all, AND I'm gonna start the real story I have in the works, but I'll use the drabbles as introductions to the chapters, as a flashback of sorts.

So for those of you only interested in the fluffy drabbles, you will still get them and can stop reading before the most-likely-angsty chapter actually begins, and for those who want to read the story, you just scroll down and keep reading!

I'll try it out on the next chapter too see if it works, 'kay?

This one goes out to the Guest who asked for the first time Damian cried, I don't think it was quite what you had in mind, but I really hope you enjoyed it!

Oh and ZAP, there will be lots of JayDami hella awkward bonding, then awesome bonding, it will probably begin to happen in the next chapter! Tim will also make an appearance soon, and I just _loved_ you're idea of the camera and the picture and will sure try to work it in!

If you want to see any other firsts with baby!Damian, tell me so in the reviews and I'll try to make it happen, okay?

I'm pretty sure no one reads this, but if you do, know that I deeply adore you all! Thank you so much for all the support!


	5. nightmare on elm street

_The drabble ends at the **xo0ox**, everything after that is the story I talked about in previous Author's Notes. There be angst ahead._

* * *

Jason dragged himself upstairs, shoulder aching and pride squished. Being sent home during patrol sucked so hard…

Alfred had already told him it was no big deal and to stop pouting. Jason was scandalized, he did _not_ fucking pout. Ever. He opened his mouth so ready to say something undoubtedly scathing, but then he remembered: that was Alfred not Bruce. So Jason just let out a long – and dramatic – huff.

Alfred smiled and patted his head like Jason was a dog or something "Good boy."

This old man was such a dick. Jason truly loved him with all his heart.

Jason's plan for the rest of the night was pretty simple, hit the sack and wallow in self-pity, whichever came first.

But as it were, he still had to pass through Damian, who was sitting on the floor in the hallway, back pressed closely to the wall, knees drawn up to his chest. Jason tried not to groan aloud when the kid's expectant eyes turned to him.

"Why are you even out here? Go to bed, you little monster."

Damian barely even blinked. The crappiest thing of all was that Jason had no idea if the kid couldn't understand him or was ignoring him. Dealing with kids _sucked_. It almost made him feel sorry for Bruce. Almost.

"Dude, it's late." he tried again "Don't you wanna sleep?" Damian shook his head no "Yeah, well, I don't care."

It was the first time Jason touched the kid, let alone pick him up, but there he was, with his arms around the heir of the League of Assassins. If Damian wasn't pouting, it would've been a little nerve racking.

Jason opened Damian's door with a bump of his hip and found a crib there. A crib. With the bars and all.

"How the hell did you get out?"

Damian didn't answer, of course.

"Never mind. There." Jason placed the kid inside the crib kinda happy for not having to carry him around anymore.

"-tt-"

"Are you clicking your tongue at me? _Don't_ click your tongue at me." why the hell was he trying to make conversation with the infant? He definitely needed some sleep.

Jason made it back to his own bedroom and let himself fall seated on the bed with a sigh, when he looked up, there was Damian.

"Oh no." Jason got up and walked back to the door before Damian got any ideas "I don't even care how you got out of your tiny jail, just _no._ Get the hell out of here. I mean it, man, _no_."

Damian stood a little taller, puffed out his tiny chest and announced "No."

Jason's so shocked it doesn't even cross his mind that that's the first time he's seen the brat speak. He didn't even know the brat _could_ speak "No? _No?!_"

"No!"

"Shut up, Damian!"

"No!"

"Stop it!"

"No!"

"Oh my God!"

"No!"

"Go away!" Jason slams the door shut, but he can still hear Damian shouting back.

"No!"

"Shut up, you little _shit!_"

"Shit!"

Jason froze. The fucking kid was copying him! And sure, maybe Jason said 'no' a lot around the brat, but that wouldn't keep Bruce from murdering him when Damian came to greet him with 'shit'.

"Oh goddamn it, kid" he sighed opening the door again only to find the most brilliant smile he'd ever seen on that little monster's face "Don't say shit."

"Shit!"

"Come on… Your dad will _kill_ me."

Maybe it was Jason's defeated tone, but Damian hesitated a bit "… shit?"

Jason shook his head gravelly "No."

Damian lit up all over again "No!"

"Goddam it, Damian!"

The kid paused with a little frown, mouth moving a little with no sound coming out, then "Godda-"

Jason slapped a hand over his mouth "SHUT UP!"

What a fucking nightmare.

**xo0ox**

"What's a mom?"

"What?" Jason asked and turned to look over his shoulder at his little brother, who was currently sprawled on his stomach over Jason's bed – and over Jason's clothes that were there first.

Damian leaned his head on his hand "What does a mom do?"

Jason worried his lip for a moment as he thought of an appropriate answer. This wouldn't be happening if Jason had been more careful.

He found his birth certificate not long ago and found out that the mother he knew wasn't his birth mother. The shock lasted as long as it took him to realize that maybe, _maybe_ he still had a mother alive somewhere out there.

He used the computer on the batcave to do some much needed research, but wasn't counting on the "Who is Sheila?" that came from behind him.

Damian, the one who asked, was _way_ too silent on his feet. Jason swore the kid could actually sneak up on Bruce – and already had, even though the big guy would never admit it.

Jason already had the perfect lie on the tip of his tongue, but Damian – the little lie detector extraordinaire – glared.

"-tt- Don't lie! If you don't want to tell me, that's fine, I'll find out sooner or later" and he really would "but don't lie to me."

With a sideways glance to the stairs, Jason beckoned Damian closer and found himself with a lapful of the tiniest cutest monster to have ever monstered. Not that Jason would ever admit it out loud, but Damian was pretty much his favorite person ever. The kid wouldn't judge, the kid wouldn't tell on him. The kid would understand. Hopefully.

"That's my mother."

Which got the two of them to where they were right now; Jason packing and Damian trying his best to hoard all of Jason's clothes or something.

"A mom…" Jason sighed a bit frustrated for even having to define this to the kid on the first place "A mom takes care of you."

"Like dad?"

Jason grimaced at the thought of mother Bruce "Yeah, but nicer."

"Like Dick then?"

This kid needed to get out more "Kind of, yeah. She helps you with homework and teaches you stuff. She won't let anyone screw you over and sometimes, if you're nice, she'll tell you bedtime stories." She can also get high every afternoon and forget to feed you. Or try to give you over to a dealer for some heroin. You know, motherly stuff.

"So you're leaving because dad won't tell you bedtime stories?"

Jason stopped packing and sat beside Damian, who refused to look up and buried his face in one of Jason's hoodies "It's not that, and I'm not _leaving_. I just… I wanna meet her, 'cause… Don't you miss your mom?"

Sometime during Jason's totally excellent explanation, Damian's head wormed its way to Jason's lap "I don't have a mom."

"Of course you do."

Damian shook his head "My teacher said that some kids don't have moms, like Becky doesn't have any brothers or sisters."

Jason had no idea who Becky was, but nodded in agreement anyway "Wouldn't you want to have one? Because… I kinda do, and I know where to find her."

Damian turns so he's lying on back, but his eyes are on his hands, crossed over his stomach "I could be your mom. I like you and I know stories. And I would never leave you."

Jason intertwined his fingers in Damian's dark locks "Moms have to be older than you."

"Then Dick could be your mom!" the kid looked up hopefully "And you could be mine!"

"That would be… kinda awesome."

"You're still leaving aren't you?"

"I'm not fucking _leaving_" Jason pulled Damian up and settled himself against the headboard, with his brother's – who didn't even blink at Jason's cursing – head on his chest "I'm just… taking a vacation, but I'll come back."

"Can I go with you?" Damian asked, looking up through his lashes. Little fucker totally got that from Dick, like the kid _needed_ to learn how to do puppy eyes.

"Your dad would kill me."

"He's your dad too, and you always say that and he never does anything." Damian got on his knees and turned to hide his face on Jason's shoulder, tiny hands gripping on his big brother's shirt "What if you like her?" he whispers, because it doesn't really matter how much of Dick's influence there is, there are just some things that they just can't say face to face "What if you like her too much and don't want to come back?"

"How could I possibly leave my favorite little monster here all alone and helpless against that cheery _Dick_?"

"Don't try to cheer me up. You suck at it."

Yeah, Jason really does…

"I'm coming back."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Look at me and see if I'm lying, you always know when I am."

Damian peels himself back slowly. His hair is getting shaggy the way Dick and Jason love and Bruce and Alfred hate, so when he looks up at Jason, his eyes are partially covered by dark bangs and looking bluer than ever.

"I'm coming back." Jason repeats with all the certainty he can muster, because it is true "I promise."

With all the problems he has with Bruce, there's just no way he'd leave Damian – and maybe Dick… When the moron deserves it – Alfred would be pretty pissed too… In a nutshell, Jason knows people care for him. It took him a long time to figure that out.

"Am I lying?" he asks trying really hard not to sound amused.

Damian's frown deepens "You better not." And the tiny hand that had been gripping Jason's shirt suddenly pinched Jason so hard it made the older boy jump.

It still hurt. The pinch. It had a cute little bruise shaped like Damian's fingers and it fucking hurt even after the beating.

Jason really thought that having his ass handed to him by a clown with a crowbar would get him to forget such a ridiculous tiny bruise, but broken ribs aside, it was pretty much the only thing he felt.

Because he promised.

Damian was probably back home, nose in a book or one of those weird Japanese comics – the ones with no porn, Jason checked – he'd discovered recently, waiting for Jason to come back.

And Bruce was on his way to do some much needed rescuing, Jason was sure of that, and he wished so hard he could make it 'till the big guy got there, but the clock was literally ticking away and Jason had to get his mom out of there. Even if she was just another bitch of a liar who didn't care.

He just couldn't let another mother die.

Eleven seconds.

They made it to the door, but Jason didn't have the strength to force it open, not anymore.

Mom kept mumbling unwanted apologies and Jason would be mad about it if he wasn't so goddamn tired… She wasn't even apologizing for the right thing.

He didn't mind being just a pawn in whatever deal she had with the Joker, he wasn't happy about dying either, but in the face of things, he got over it. But he would never forgive her for making him break his promise.

Seven seconds.

Damian was just a kid, he believed in promises, it wasn't fair.

Jason closed his eyes for a moment and prayed to whoever was out that that Damian would grow up as quick as possible and forgot all about Jason, so the kid wouldn't hurt. But as the selfish fuck he knew he was, Jason hoped Damian never ever forgot about him. Ever.

Four seconds.

Talking about selfishness, Jason would willingly sell his soul if it got him a guarantee that Damian never met with Talia.

In his experience, good mothers died and bad mothers got you killed. Just look at Dick. _Look at Jason._

But even so, shooting another glance at his progenitor, Jason realized he didn't really regret going after her – or anything else about the situation; he wanted to know, now he knew – except passing up on Damian's offer.

Jason _was_ selfish after all and being the kid's mom would've been awesome.

One second.

* * *

**N/A.:** Let the awkward (or not) bonding begin!

And no, I'm not dead, I'm just... hibernating? I don't even know anymore, real life has been biting me in the ass, but I'm trying to get back to the stories, okay?

I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter of the story and for the drabble, it was supposed to be only the part about Damian not sleeping (and maybe the why), but it's been a while, so I thought what the hell and included his first word too (and second. And nearly the third).

For all the lovely reviewers who sent me ideas for other firsts for Damian, I didn't forget, 'kay? It's gonna happen! If anyone wants too see something else, either in drabbles or on the story tell me so in the reviews and I'll try to work it in!

Thanks a lot for the reviews and follows for keeping this thing alive and so very sorry for the huge wait!


	6. look who's talking

_Once again, the cuteness ends at the **xo0ox**. Or not, but the angst kind of overwhelms it._

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Jason felt like a cornered animal for two whole days, just waiting for the moment when Damian would cuss right in front of Bruce.

Part of him, the suicidal half, was cracking up at the thought of how shocked Bruce and Alfred would be at the sight of their precious cherub shouting "SHIT!" in the middle of dinner, the rest of him was just scared shitless at the possibility.

Weirdly enough, Damian was as quiet as he ever was, maybe even more so, though he kept stealing looks at Jason, like they were hiding something.

They were, but couldn't the kid keep his fucking cool?

Alfred even asked if Jason had sweets on him, because Damian wouldn't stop staring. Jason just shrugged and said the kid was weird. Alfred laughed when Damian clicked his tongue at that.

And Jason finally snapped "How does he do that?!" he nearly shrieked much to Alfred's amusement "Does he understand what we're saying or not?!"

"I have no idea," the old man said with a tiny smile playing on his lips "you should ask him."

Jason opened his mouth but instead chose to simply glare back. He had no idea if Alfred was mocking him or not.

The butler left both boys alone and Damian immediately turned to look expectantly at Jason.

"I have absolutely no clue of what the hell you want." he said, shoulders hunching on defeat.

Damian only blinked back. Little fucker.

Sighing, Jason stood turning towards his bedroom, when he felt no movement behind him, he turned "Well, come on! I'm not gonna carry your ass."

Damian's eyes lit up and he ran – or wobbled, he had tiny legs it was… not cute. More like… funny? Yeah. Funny. – to catch up.

"Okay." Jason said as soon as they sat on Jason's bed, facing each other "Okay. Uhm…" he scratched the back of his neck "You're name is Damian. Can you say that? _Damian._"

Blue eyes squinted in concentration as Damian watched Jason's mouth, moving his own without any sound.

Jason frowned thoughtfully "Maybe it's too long? Okay, so… D. Can you say that? _D._"

Damian's lips moved a lot more than it was actually necessary, like he was rehearsing it before timidly saying "D?"

"Yeah!" Jason was so fucking awed. Sure it was just a little letter, but the kid was listening to _him_ and how weirdly cool was that? "Right on, kid!" he held up his hand for a high five and Damian just stared at it with this huge enthusiastic clueless smile "Maybe later, then…" he touched a finger to Damian's chest "'Kay, so you're D, got that?" Damian nodded.

_The kid fucking nodded_ and Jason once again thrown into his eternal question of 'is this kid really as dumb as he looks or is he hiding something?'.

He pointed at himself "I'm Jason, but I think that's kinda hard for you to say, so… Let's try Jay. _Jay_"

Damian barely hears the end of Jason's sentence and promptly tells him "Yay!"

Jason faltered "What?"

"Yay." Damian repeated mimicking Jason's earlier action and touching a finger to the older boy's chest.

Jason snorted trying to hold back a laugh "Fuck, no."

"Fuc-"

"NO!" Jason shouted and Damian grinned and bounced a little on his seat.

Little shit was enjoying this.

"Let's try this again."

Dick thought Alfred was screwing with him when the butler said Damian was with Jason.

Because in all honesty when would Jason _ever_ be in the same room as Damian? Much less actually spend time with the boy.

So Dick climbed the stair smirking a bit to himself; he was so sure Jason would be climbing the walls in a desperate attempt to get away from Damian.

"Dick!" Jason shouted before Dick could even see him.

"Yeah?" Dick answered humorously when he got to Jason's door.

"Holy fucking freckled Jesus! This kid, man! You have no fucking clue!"

Finding everything too damn funny to actually nag on Jason because of his cussing, Dick merely stepped in and got a wave from Damian, that looked very comfortable on Jason's bed "Relax, Little Wing, I'll take him off your hands now."

Jason's head snapped to him at that "What? Oh no, dude. Check _this_ out. Hey, kid" he called and Damian's attention shifted from Dick "What's your name?"

Dick crossed his arms over his chest, leaning on the doorway. This was bound to be entertaining in the least.

Damian's brow furrowed as he opened his mouth, like it actually hurt.

"No, no." Jason told him, waving a hand "The short version" he showed the actual size between his forefinger and his thumb "Remember?"

Damian's expression lit up as he exclaimed an excited "D!"

Dick's jaw dropped "Holy hell!"

"Shut up!" Jason sang song without even looking at him "Hey, D. What's my name?"

"Jay!" Damian stated proudly, though it kinda sounded like g-yay.

"How can he say Jay and not Damian?" Dick asked feeling a little numb with shock.

"I fucking taught him, the least he could do was learn my name."

"You're an asshole."

Jason smiled brightly "Hey, D? Who's this?" he tapped twice over his heart.

"Wo-" Damian began slowly and Jason gave him a minute headshake.

"Grrrr…" Dick frowned at the sound Jason was making, like a growl. Whatever that was, Damian seemed to understand and his cute little eyebrows shot up.

"Robin!"

Dick's eyes kept switching between Damian and Jason, and his expression must've been something, because Jason looked smug as hell.

"Hey D" Jason drawled, shooting Dick one last glance "Who is that?" he gestured at Dick with a just of chin before using both index fingers to point to the middle of his chest, then drove them up towards his shoulders forming a big V.

Damian's smile was nearly blinding "Nightwang!"

"What?!" Dick squeaked.

"Nightwang!" Damian repeated happily.

Dick turned his furious glare on the horrible, _horrible_ creature he called a brother "Jason, you _shit_."

"Shit!"

Before Dick even managed to grasp the fact that Damian, his adorable cuddly baby, had just yelled 'shit', Jason had a coy hand over his mouth in mock surprise and horrification "Oh, Dick, no! You taught him a bad word!"

**xo0ox**

Damian woke up in the middle of the night. Dad and Jason were back, he was sure of it.

Alfred could never understand how Damian always knew, so Damian told him he could hear when the grandfather clock's passageway opened, but Alfred told him that that was impossible; he was too far away to hear anything.

Damian still could hear it, he just didn't talk about it anymore.

He jumped out of bed, shoved his feet into his slippers – a gift from Dick; they had bats sown on them – and darted down the stairs.

In all honesty, he expected Jason to meet him halfway, but wasn't too surprise when it didn't happen. Dad was most likely chewing him out for taking off as he did, even if it was for a good cause – though Damian was still a bit iffy with this whole 'mom' thing.

Not slowing down, just too eager to meet everyone, Damian bumped into dad's legs, having to hold onto them to keep from falling on his butt "Hi, dad!" he said looking up and smiling his best smile so dad would look past the fact that Damian was up way beyond his bed time.

But dad, didn't even look down, just shoved Damian away with a non-too gentle hand and kept walking. Damian spared a second to feel hurt as he watched his dad's back moving away, then shrugged it off in favor of looking for Alfred and his brother.

"Alfred, where's Jason? Did he find his mom?" Damian asked, and the sight of the butler's tears made him freeze in place "Alfred?" he called, dreading what would happen next "Is Jason hurt?"

Alfred turned to him then, and the man's expression twisted in pain. Damian wanted to run away, but his legs wouldn't move.

"Jason-" Alfred chocked on his words "Jason is…He's not coming back."

"What do you mean?" Damian's voice was but a scared whisper.

"He…" there was a pregnant pause "Master Jason chose to stay with his mother."

Damian deflated at that, relief washing over him "Don't worry, Alfred, he's coming back. He promised!"

"I don't think that is the case…" Alfred's voice broke at the end and Damian couldn't understand.

"But he _promised_. He said he wouldn't leave me." Damian's words only seemed to make things worse as Alfred actually sobbed, so he quickly added "He wouldn't leave you either."

"Oh, my dear boy" Alfred breathed and pulled Damian into a bone crushing hug.

It was weird, Damian had never seen Alfred cry and he didn't know what he was supposed to do. He wasn't even sure _why_ Alfred was crying; Jason would come back sooner or later – _he promised_ –, so that couldn't be why, so maybe it was something Damian said?

"I'm sorry…" he whispered tightening his grip around the butler's neck.

"For what?"

"I don't know… But I really am!"

Alfred leaned away, drying his tears with the back of a hand, while the other ran through Damian's hair "You should go see your father."

"Do I really have to?" Damian wrinkled his nose "He was all bat-like. He's mean when he's bat-like."

Alfred smile, but it wasn't happy at all.

"You two should talk."

Damian took his time to climb the stairs, he didn't want to talk to his dad, not when he was like that anyway. He wanted _Jason_, he wanted to know about Jason's mom, if she was nice, if she knew any good stories and if she also dressed as a bat and went out every night to scare evil away.

But Alfred said Damian should talk to him, and Dick said Damian should always listen to Alfred.

The knock on the door sounded so loud in the empty hallway and dad only opened a crack, enough for Damian to see only one bloodshot eye "Dad? Are you oka-"

The door was slammed back shut, leaving Damian to wonder why didn't anyone believe in Jason's promise.

Damian couldn't sleep anymore, waiting for Jason to come back. Dick was out of town, Alfred was still inexplicably sad and dad… Actually Damian didn't know about dad, he was never home anymore.

School was out and Damian had never felt quite as lonely.

So he sat on the floor, back leaning on Jason's bedroom door and waited. It had been a month since Jason first left.

He'd been sitting there for roughly two hours when dad's form turned around the corner. Damian felt himself shrinking back, caught in the middle of wanting to say something and hoping against hope that he wouldn't be seen.

Dad towered over him, looking angry and unkempt. It was scary in a way Damian couldn't quite put into words.

"Dad?" he asked, carefully.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just… Jason could come back tonight and I... wanted to say hi." it seemed so stupid when he said it out loud "Did he call?"

"He's not coming back!" Damian had heard dad's growl before, but it had never been directed at him; it made his chest hurt.

"He _is_. I know you must be mad at him for not telling you where he was going, but he promised-"

"He's dead."

Whatever Damian was planning to say next died on his lips "What?"

Dad knelt in front of Damian, grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him harder than it was necessary "He's dead. Jason _died_ and he will never come back. He died because you two kept secrets from me. And no _promise_ will change that."

When dad let him go, Damian's back hit the door making him a little lightheaded, by the time he managed to focus, dad had vanished back towards the stairs. Not long after, Damian heard the grandfather clock move.

Damian stood up in a daze and felt his feet move, not even sure where he was going before he realized he had stopped in front of the telephone. He dialed and waited, vision blurring every couple of seconds, heart twisting when an electronic voice told him that an answering machine had picked up "Dick?" he murmured and counted 'till five, but no one came to the phone "Can you come back? Please?"

He hung up and walked back to Jason's room, this time going in and lying down on the bed.

His eyes were burning, but there weren't any tears.

Jason wasn't dead. Couldn't be.

And even if he was, he'd come back, like Snow White. They all thought she was dead, but she was just asleep, right? And Sleeping Beauty too.

Damian nuzzled into Jason's pillow, his hand slipping underneath it and touching… something. Without even thinking about it, his fingers curled around it and he pulled out a Robin mask. He stared at it for a long moment, a little bit afraid to keep touching it. Alfred said they weren't allowed to keep any parts of their costumes in the house and Damian just couldn't believe Jason had actually defied Alfred's order.

Lying back down, Damian put on the mask; it was too big for him, probably a perfect fit for Jason's face, but it held on somehow.

He stared at the ceiling long enough that his eyes began to hurt again.

"Please don't be dead."

It was a prayer, said in such a rushed whisper that Damian wasn't even sure he had spoken aloud. He closed fists and eyes tightly, pretending the tears weren't pooling on the mask's edge.

* * *

**A/N.:** First of, all the prompts you guys sent me are coming, 'kay? There are just some stuff I had to get out of the way first, I hope it's still cute enough though.

Second of, I'm kinda making the chapters short (for my tastes at least) and I was wondering if longer ones would be bad. I feel the plot is moving kinda slow, so yeah... Current chapter sizes and overall speed. Good? Bad? Wanna be surprised? I want to know your opinion on that!

I guess that's it... Tim will be coming up soon, and I _suck_ at writing Tim (he's not one of my favorites) but I'll really try to make him passable! I'm not being modest, I really suck. If you wanna check it out, take a look at **Mistake** (yes, I'm shamelessly self-promoting)

Thanks for all the follows and reviews! You guys make my day with any form of feedback, seriously!


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